Just to clarify, when we talk about a sense of adventure, it indicates a puppy who is relatively fearless and curious. It can also indicate intelligence, but there are some dumb dogs out there who know no fear! The more adventurous a puppy is, the more they want to see new things and go different places. If you want a dog that will just stay home all the time, you do not want an adventurous puppy. If your lifestyle is such that you will take them different places on a regular basis, then you want one that will be comfortable with that. An adventurous dog who does not get enough of that need satisfied, is more likely to work at getting out of their yard and go wandering on their own.

The more energetic a puppy/dog is, the more you will have to do to burn that energy off in order to have a balanced, behaved dog. If your lifestyle is somewhat sedentary, then do not get a more energetic puppy. Likewise, if you want a jogging companion, then energy is good. A puppy with another dog in the house will burn more energy than a dog by itself. No matter how much we try, we just can't run or wrestle as well as another dog. We seldom have puppies that we would call high energy...most are medium in the grand scheme of things, but if they do not get enough activity, energy accumulates and overflows into things like chasing cars, digging holes in the flower bed, or constant barking. When discussing puppy energy, realize that it is a fluctuating thing. Puppies (and humans) must sleep to grow, so during growth periods, they will sleep more and appear to have less energy. Realize that Australian Shepherds are not a low energy breed!! Even the lowest energy puppy, will need some effort on your part to work off their energy.

An independent puppy looks less toward litter mates or us for direction or attention. If they are totally independent, then you wlll be unimportant to them in the grand scheme of things. The more they want our attention, the less independent they are. If you want a dog to work cattle for you, they need to be able to think on their own with some guidance from you, but if you want a dog which excels at obedience, they need to look to you for constant direction. Some dogs are better at thinking on their own than others. We don't think we have ever had a totally independent puppy. We spend too much time socializing them so that by the time they go home, they truly love human attention. Many of our puppies grow up to become dogs that think they should still be able to get on your lap, so be warned. The more attention a puppy needs, the more attention they will want as an adult. If you do not want a puppy that is constantly seeking attention, then look for one that is more independent. A velcro puppy is one that wants a lot of physical touch, ie, they will sit on your feet as opposed to beside your chair.

No Puppies at this time. Next planned litter Summer 2019.

ADULT FEMALE AVAILABLE TO THE RIGHT FAMILY

-Gets along well with others dogs, cats and children. Over the holidays, there were 10 or more dogs here at one time and she was great with all of them, even the ones who snapped at her. She ignores our cats and also deals with our rowdy 8 year old twin grandsons with grace.

-Very even tempered and not overly protective or confrontational.

-She is not a barker, unless there is truly a reason to bark...like someone coming in the door. Stops barking when directed to.

-Completely housebroken and communicates well when she wants to go out - she does not let you ignore her when she has to potty. She learned how to use our dog doors in 2 days, but still prefers to be let out by us. Update: she now goes in and out whenever she needs to go potty and no longer asks unless there is not a dog door (at our office).

-Very affectionate and loves attention. Did not sleep on the bed with her previous owner, but does with us...all night every night!

-Well behaved when left alone though food or trash left in reach might not be safe, she does not destroy anything.

-Very well mannered when taking food from your hand and does not overeat or become a pest during meals.

-Knows some basic commands like sit or down.

-Enjoys walks (on leash) but pulls and needs work with heeling.

-She is an inside, city dog who does not need much space to run. She does enjoy play time with other dogs.

BELLA is a 3.5 year old, spayed, black tri female who is current on vaccinations.

Bella's Graces

Bella is not one of our pups but came to us from someone who once had one of our pups. Her previous owner's life circumstances have changed and he felt it would be best for her to find a new family. He trusted us to find the right family for his girl.

-Slow to make up to strangers and may even be called timid, though she had no problems mixing with a lot of people over the holidays, she took her time approaching them. Update: she approaches everyone with a wiggle butt who comes in the office, though she also barks at them.

-She does not have a reliable "come" though we have been working hard on it and she is improving. When she first arrived, she would not approach us when we were standing though she would if we were sitting. Now, she comes to us when called regardless, unless outside and there is something more interesting. She cannot be trusted to remain in the yard if not confined by a fence and if she gets out, she does not respond to "come" until she is ready. Again, we are working on it and I believe this can be fixed with lots of positive reinforcement and consistency. Update: she has been coming every time for the past couple of weeks and hasn't tried to leave the yard in the past month. She has been good about staying with us even off leash.

-She does not ride well in a car, though she will get in (if on a leash), she drools and pants the whole time. We have taken her places she enjoys...like to play with our daughter's dogs so she will begin associating car rides with good things, but she may never be much of a traveler. Update: she readily gets in the car and now wants to go every time. She has stopped shaking and is no longer panting like she ran miles. She is still a little nervous, but is improving daily (she now goes to the office with us during the week)

-She seems afraid to go out alone in the dark and waits for us to walk out with her. She does not use all the space available to her (approximately 1 acre is fenced) unless we walk it too. She goes out, does her business and lets herself back in our dog door. Update: not really an update...she still doesn't use the whole yard and prefers to be with us wherever we are, but goes out by herself to potty instead of waiting to be let out.

-When excited, she jumps up on us, but knows she is supposed to sit and will eventually sit for attention. It might be better without so many dogs to compete with for attention (we have 5 besides her). She would very much like to have another dog to live with.

-Does not like having her feet worked with, especially having toenails clipped, but we are working on it. Update: we have successfully clipped her toenails twice!